The present invention relates to a device for indicating in real time the body movement execution errors of a person during dancing or other coordinated body movement activities.
During the execution of a sequence of body movements in a dance routine or during another activity routine involving coordinated body movement, a person must simultaneously coordinate the proper movement and position of his or her body. To assist in such coordination, a dance instruction device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,470,628 to Schuhe for providing foot position indicia of a particular dance routine, and oral instructions as well, to a person learning a dance routine. While instructional media such as the above-noted Schuhe dance instruction device provide information to the dancer regarding proper positions of selected body parts such as the feet or arms, the dancer must monitor body movement to ensure that the rest of his or her body is properly "framed" or positioned in addition to the selected body part whose position is indicated by the instruction media. For example, if the instructional media indicates the proper placement of the feet at the conclusion of a particular sequence of body movements during a dance routine, the dancer can verify the actual position of his or her feet against the desired foot position shown on the instructional media. However, the dancer must also ensure that the other parts of his or her body such as, for example, the upper torso and arms, are also properly "framed" at the end of the sequence of body movements--i.e., the dancer must ensure that all of the other body parts in addition to the feet are in their proper positions as well at the conclusion of the sequence of body movements. As can be imagined, dance routines of any significant complexity present substantial body coordination challenges to novice dancers. Thus, even those who have mastered advance levels of dance movement can still benefit from a teaching method and device which provides instantaneous feedback concerning body movement beyond prescribed limits.